“I’m not the one about to go crazy. Now, stop being an asshole and let me help you.”
His wolf wanted to take a nip out of her hide for the disrespect, but at the same time, it loved the fact she’d done it.
Confused bastard.
Speak for yourself.
But when his fingers touched his face, he sucked in a breath. He’d partially shifted. His muzzle elongated, hair had burst out and spread across his face.
“It’s been happening ever since I told you to get in the car.” She wrapped her other arm around his waist and rested her head on his chest.
Giuliana was not a short woman by any means, but next to his height, she was small. He inhaled her scent deep into his lungs and held his breath.
“You shouldn’t be so close like this,” he forced himself to say. He wanted her right the fuck where she was, and closer still. But his wolf was losing his mind, and he could smell her arousal on the air.
“Sometimes, when Dominic—”
“I would hope you are not about to tell me you do this for him,” he growled. He sounded like a jealous man. He wasn’t … right?
She curled her fingers against his chest, digging her nails in enough to sting. A warning. She was warning him.
Okay, that’s not hot at all—
Pfft!
Did his wolf just pfft him?
“Interrupting a lady is rude. As I was saying, when Dominic gets like this, Zoey helps. Her touch seems to make it better.” Giuliana pulled back and looked over his face. “I guess I can do that for you too.”
Pasquale touched his muzzle. His lips were back to normal, his skin smooth. While his wolf was pressing to come out, it was so he could have the woman in front of him instead of the fear of closed-in spaces.
He nodded. “Yes.”
Giuliana sighed, tracing some shape on his chest. “It took me years to get used to cars. My need to escape sometimes drove me to conquer it. But many wolves can’t be in them.”
Her quiet understanding without ridicule was new to him. Pasquale’s father had always told him he was weak for not being able to stomach the inside of a car. Of all the fears his father had drilled out of him, claustrophobia was not one of them.
He’d soothed himself by thinking it was because he was more wolf than his father. Because he was more tied to the earth, he couldn’t be as human. Pasquale still viewed it as a failure. A history of being the shield when he should have been the crown had taught him to think that way.
Pasquale took a step back, severing the connection with Giuliana. He needed to keep his head clear. Allowing himself her comfort would only bring out more urge to claim her.
Take her.
No. I can’t.
Oh, you can. You just won’t.
Same thing right now. Shut up. I’m thinking.
Being with her, allowing his wolf to rule, would only mean he’d have to destroy her life. He couldn’t do it. Not to her.
Giuliana sighed, but Pasquale shook his head, stopping her from saying anything. “Thank you for helping me.”
Giuliana crossed her arms over her chest, lifting her breasts for his inspection. She probably didn’t mean the move like that, but it made his mouth salivate all the same.
“Let’s just put it out there. Our wolves recognize each other as mates.”
Hearing the word on her tongue made him tremble. Him, one of the deadliest wolves in Encantado.
